ST. LOUIS — This week is Child Passenger Safety Week and experts want to make sure parents are properly installing their child’s car seat.
According to AAA, three out of four car seats are not properly installed, which means a lot of parents don’t know what to do.
Andi Newingham, a Child Passenger Safety Technician, said it can be confusing. She suggests parents read all the instructions and make sure their belts are secured properly.
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Also, parents need to be aware of all age and weight requirements. A new law taking effect in January requires all infants 2 and younger, or under 30 lbs, to be in rear-facing seats.
“After that they need to be in a forward-facing harness. If they’ve maxed out the weight for their harness they must be in a boost seat. Children need to be in a booster seat until they’re 8 years old or 80 lbs. Children 13 and under should ride in the back seat,” said Newingham.
Newingham also said backseats should be clear of anything like groceries, diaper bags and toys because in a collision, those things will move and could hit someone in the car.
Anyone with questions about how to install their car seat can bring it to their local fire department and get it installed for free.